Decisions, Decisions
by boredphantasizer
Summary: Fate is a funny thing. We need it to sound so grand and so amazing because it's easier to accept that it is "Fate" than to realize we're just stuck in the middle of a game and "Fate" is simply the "Consequence" of the choices made before us. In this story, in a twist of "Fate", two lost souls who thought their broken ship had found a bay find each other and life takes a turn.
1. Chapter 1

On one side of the world, a blonde child with bright blue eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks wondered what his role in life was as he stared at his peers playing in the orphanage backyard.

To him, life seemed like nothing more than a loop. Get up. Eat. Play. Sleep. Repeat.

He grew tired of it and his mind wandered the finite land of imagination for something new to tinker and mess with. Little did he know, the protector and ruler of the village had plans in mind for him.

On the other side of the world, a small girl helped another inured soldier. Not because she wanted to. Because she had to. She didn't want to suffer the same fate as her mother. All she could wish for was that everyone would just die.

Would it be a miracle if her wish came true and the strongest Sannin raided the camp the next day?

Would it be "Fate" if these two children from two different parts in the world would one day turn the other's life upside down?

Or would it be just the consequence of many choices made through the years?

It doesn't really matter what you call it. Facts stay as facts. That's reality. How you cope is what determines the next step of "Fate".

 **Twelve Years Later**

It was another dark, desolate and dreary morning for Karin. She wouldn't have it any other way.

The mornings would always be Dark and void of light when you live underground. She did however resurface twice a day for her body to feel the sunshine.

Her mentor on the other hand did not share her enthusiasm for "The light playing on the skin" as she liked to put it.

Today would be a big day for Karin. It would be the day she would make the greatest experiment of her life and probably history. Maybe that's stretching it too far but that's what it felt like to her.

She cheerfully ate her breakfast before she put on her white lab coat and headed for the laboratory.

Kabuto's death was pitiful…to some. To her, it was just a big promotion. You'd think she'd miss her science teacher but all she managed was a sigh at the news.

On her way, she saw "Him". Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Morning Sasuke-kun."

"Mornin"

She skipped the rest of her walk to the lab. He actually enunciated a single word to her at seven in the morning and that was a new record for her.

'This day can't get any better' she thought as she examined Kimimaru's body and the teapot in the glass container.

Behind the resilient lab glasses, she could see Orochimaru and Sasuke observing her as she started putting in the inputs for the transfer.

"Alright. Beginning the experiment. Subject. Kimimaru Kaguya. Experiment. The Ichibi's transfer and its effects on his decaying body."

Orochimaru was more than pleased. At this rate, not only would he have the Sharingan, he would have a Jinchuriki of his own.

Clearly, the day could not get any better.

 **?**

"You know how it goes. You two go for Orochimaru. Leave Uchiha to me."

"That's a cold way of addressing your ex-teammate."

"Whatever. Game time. Odama…"

 **Lab**

'Shit…did I jynx it?' she thought as she looked at Orochimaru. He shared the same confused look on his face. Sasuke already had his sword out.

She approached the thick glass and started asking with sign language.

'What's happening?'

Orochimaru shook his head as he looked at the monitors. Sasuke was already gone and Orochimaru grew frustrated at how the once perfect day was turning into perfect chaos.

She tried knocking on the glass. She needed him to open the door from the other side if she wanted to get out and be of any use.

No use.

He was too lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps he was still thinking about how he was exposed.

After another few minutes of hard knocking, Orochimaru finally noticed and let her out.

 **Orochi Hall**

Was she too late? It was very hard to tell. One thing she knew was that her beloved Sasuke was outnumbered. She was hoping he wouldn't be outmatched. The blonde who stood in front of him was unnerving her. Sasuke was blazing his Sharingan and he wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Well you're a sight for sore eyes."

"I could say the same, Dobe."

The blonde turned to his teammate, who wore a leaf headband on his forehead.

"You think he got my joke about sore eyes and his Sharingan?"

Fate really is funny. It should be. It is the consequence of human actions. If fate is funny, it's because humans once made stupid decisions that were so stupid, they were funny. If it's awesome, which it rarely is, then some awesome guy made an equally awesome choice. It's all in the desire really.

Sasuke's rash lunge was also another "Fateful move" that changed the course of history.

He was so focused on Naruto's turned and vulnerable throat that he missed the shadow's move in the corner of his eyes. Before he knew it, a heel kick to the head had knocked him out.

The blonde scratched his right cheek in confusion.

"Plan A worked?...oh well. Nice going Lee. And who do we have here?" he asked as he looked directly at her.

These people looked younger than her if not as young as her but when a group like this wipes out an entire base and knocks out the last remaining Uchiha…you'd be making "Fate" if you made a "Fateful" choice.

A certain Sannin's entrance allowed her to let out the breath she was holding.

"Come now Sasuke-kun…you can't be that _weak_ , can you?"

Like a voice-controlled doll, Sasuke gripped his sword once more as the curse-mark spread over his body.

"Everyone, do with Orochimaru as planned. Leave her alone. She looks useful."

His five comrades surrounded the pale snake. Said snake was beyond amused.

"Hahaha. You cannot be serious. A group of brats are going to kill me? Oh how the times have-"

*Crack*

Karin could literally hear the man's skull crack as the person named _Lee_ kneed Orochimaru square in the forehead.

The man was apparently not about to take a break. Two Hyuugas began to bombard him with gentle palm strikes. Just when she thought he was finished, a girl who had her hair tied in two buns summoned a giant mace from a scroll and crushed the man. She was about to rush to her master's aid but she couldn't move.

"you were careless."

She would scream but she was paralyzed at the moment. A hooded man wearing sunglasses was standing behind her. He was clearly not someone you'd want to take your eyes off of. She felt no cuts so how did he poison him?

On the other side, the Rampaging Uchiha was being driven back by his enemy…who seemed to have Froggy eyes now. His chakra was different too. It had changed from wind to nature? She was nonplussed.

'what's happening?...why did this have to happen on the single greatest day of my life? And I had just-"

Her thought was interrupted when the blonde's foot found Sasuke's face. He was rocketed into the snake monument.

"Back!" he barked and not a moment too late, his teammates each dodged a giant snake. They would have been swallowed whole if not for his command.

'how did he…is he a sensor too?'

"Alright. Second formation."

It was as if she was watching a carefully practiced dance. The team began walking towards the monument where Sasuke was standing as if they were walking through a street.

No tension in their steps. No stress or worry evident in their eyes. It was as if they knew they would succeed.

"Orochimaru…do you really want me to break the ground just to drag you out? We're both men of finer taste."

a moment later, Orochimaru showed himself where the mace had crushed him.

"Hah. _Men_ of finer taste. How old are you anyway?"

"Eighteen. But does it really matter? I've already won."

"Wh-"

Another knee strike. Any human would die from a bash to the back of the head. How he survived the crazy-fast _lee's_ strike was beyond her at this moment and she could only chalk it down to _the power of a Sannin_. she was reminded of just who her mentor and savior is.

Orochimaru was flying towards Naruto and since he was not one to waste chances, he and his clones had already started their technique.

"Well done, Lee."

"Sasuke!" she cried but he was currently under a barrage of gentle fists.

"Chou Odama Rasen Tarengan!"

 **?**

"Wow…that brat doesn't take chances does he?"

"No he doesn't. now get ready. You need to finish what your pupil started."

 **Ruins**

"Haha!…yeah!…I mean…crap. I suck at following through." The blonde grumbled as he made his way over the disfigured cadaver to the beaten remains of one Sasuke Uchiha. He had sensed the snake slipping away. He had also sensed another Nature Chakra follow him…or it. Orochimaru wasn't considered human to him anymore.

"Though you know what I DON'T suck at?" he almost whispered, as if the person he was stepping on was all that lived in the world with him.

"Keeping my promises." He said through clenched teeth as he picked the sword up.

It would have been all so simple. If only one unaccounted factor was absent, he would have finished him off and went home with a smile.

But no.

As fate would have it, he wasn't able to stab the Uchiha because of one certain Redhead whom he had no idea about.

Why was she here? Who was he to her? It couldn't be that Sasuke had left to be with her, right?

Impossible.

She was the one with the feelings.

And that was all his mind could process before she kicked him in the groin.

 **Elsewhere**

"Congratulations Jiraya. You can finally have your revenge."

"This isn't revenge, Orochimaru. This is…I hate to quote him but…this is fate."

 **Snake's Den**

"Hey! You okay?"

He gasped for precious air as he jolted up like a flash.

"What Happened!?"

"You…got kicked in a sensitive spot."

"And?"

"You've been in a coma for seven years."

"Dammit Shino I can't tell if you're joking or not!"

*Thwack*

A fist to the head knocked him back to his senses.

"Get yourself together, Uzumaki. Though I'll give you credit because Shino's unreadable."

"Thanks, Ten. Okay back to business. Where are they?"

 **Wrecked Hall**

"You managed to fight off the strongest Sannin and yet were done in by a kick?...you're still a Dobe."

"I did not fight him off. I simply managed my resources. The credits mostly go to Lee and his first gate. Well played, Lee."

His smiling face was quite unnerving as he knelt down and looked at Karin closely. If she wasn't tied up, she would probably be far far away in Raigakure, away from him. how could such a goofball...she didn't even want to imagine the rest of it.

His silence seemed to stretch into hours as he looked at each part of her face closely.

In the end, he got up with a defeated sigh.

"Dammit I still can't hit a girl"

"*Cough*Bullshit."

"Ha ha. Thanks TenTen. Just…take her."

He turned to the last Uchiha with a cruel smile etched on his face.

"I'm Not Going Anywhere!" she screamed as she tried to pull herself closer to sasuke with all hopes of shielding him in any way possible.

"Stay out of this. He has to pay for what he's done."

"I don't care what he's done, Take me instead!"

For a moment, Naruto had a confused look on his face. He looked at Her. Then at sasuke. He looked at them both a few times before he burst in laughter.

"Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of a fate is this?"

"Wh…what's so funny?!"

"You love him? Why Don't You Tell Her What Happened To Your Last Lover?!"

Sasuke looked away in what she recognized as…shame?

"Sasuke?" she almost whispered.

"What? Snake got your tongue? Why don't you explain how you killed her? NO! allow me to correct myself. How you freaking Burned Her To Death!"

For some reason, she just remembered what a perfect day she was having until this blonde freak ruined it all with his so called sense of justice. Was it justice that she'd suffer? For what?

"You were weak to temptation. That's why you wanted to leave. Because of your weakness, she had to pay the price."

"Hah…you sound very high and mighty for a dobe. Are you forgetting about your own weakness? Or should I remind you _Why_ she had to burn?"

*Thwack*

*Pound*

*Crack*

His bloody hand covered his face as he inhaled deeply. The Uchiha's Jaw was broken and his face was dripping blood. Some of which was now covering The blonde's face.

"Leave us." He ordered in a cold tone, void of the sense of humor he would use to address his teammates.

"No!" she yelled as she refused to be dragged away. But it was all in vain. She watched helplessly as the blue spinning sphere in his open palm glowed brighter and spun faster.

He waited patiently until he was all alone with his nemesis.

"You're right. I was weak. But I've rid myself of that weakness as you can see. But not you. You deserve to die for your weakness"

In the eyes of the person he once considered family, he saw a strange look. It wasn't peace. Or fear. Or anger. Or sadness. It was something new. It bothered him. Not that he didn't know what it meant. It bothered him because on a core level, he knew the look meant something…as inevitable as fate itself.

he took his time. He walked slowly as he made his way out of the bloodied chambers. He thought clearly as he stepped over the corpses. he was understanding the cycle he was stuck in now.

 **Outside**

"release her." He commanded with a sepulchral stare and an unimpeachable tone.

No one dared to disobey him. His attire wasn't helping either.

She stared at him in awe and horror but didn't choose to believe it.

"Yes my dear redhead. I'm covered in _his_ blood."

It had all made sense to him. He had prepared himself for the endgame as he had made his way up.

He knew what was coming because he was a believer in fate.

He believed that a person's actions dictate the most probable course of his future. There are times when another more significant choice can change the course of  
history but…the look in Sasuke's eyes had given him the sign.

He had sealed his fate by killing the man she loved and he doubted that anything could change that fact and save him from her wrath.

Killing her wasn't an option either. She had done nothing wrong to deserve death and in fact, killing her after killing her love would be… _monstrous._ He really hated that word.

Time slowed down for him as she jumped towards him with her fist held back, ready to crush his face as the knuckles had turned white.

He could read it in her eyes. They were saying " _I will kill you._ "

Those eyes reminded him of what Sasuke's eyes said.

" _You do too._ "


	2. Chapter 2

" _You Cannot Leave Like This!"_

 _"What? Are you going to try and stop me? Order is your thing isn't it? Well how are you going to treat an insubordinate teammate?"_

"Stop it you two, Please!"

"Stay out of this Sakura."

 _He could not bring himself to touch her. The smell of her beautiful pink hair burning made him want to throw up._

All he could do was kneel beside her and watch as she twitched in pain, her body burnt all over.

He sat up in his bed and looked at his hands. He had that dream again. The dream that would make him shake all over. He could smell burnt hair in his nostrils so he did as he usually does. He ran to the bathroom and threw up what little his stomach held.

After he was done, he washed his face and took a look in the mirror. He looked like shit. His face was beaten blue. Upper lip was ripped and seemed to have been stitched.

* * *

'How hard did she pound me?'

All he could remember was her fist connecting with his forehead. Or was it the temple?

He assumed that he was saved by his concerned teammates and was taken back to the village for emergency treatment.

But what about the girl?

He got dressed up and was about to leave when a certain Hyuuga decided to check in on him.

"Naruto-kun? You shouldn't be up yet."

"How about a report before that? What happened?"

"Umm…you were hurt pretty bad, Naruto-kun. Are you sure?"

"That explains the face. What else?"

"Lee-kun and Neji-kun restrained her while I applied first aid. I feared the worst, Naruto-kun. The way she was hitting you, I thought you had a concussion."

'Explains the pounding in my head…'

"Then?"

"Then we came to the safe house and decided to wait for you to wake up. We're still in enemy territory so we thought it would be best if you got up first."

'pity…oh well.'

* * *

Orochimaru was grabbed mid-air by the blonde's clone. He himself along with his other clones were next to them in seconds.

The sphere that seemed to spin in their palms grew in size and the two globes of spinning chakra smashed each other with Orochimaru in the middle.

Even a Sannin couldn't have stood a chance against that. The power that cracked the earth with its mere turbulence. When the death trap settled down, she saw her mentor fall like a ragged doll…or at least what was left of him.

Suddenly, the blonde's attention was focused on her. He seemed to be talking as he walked towards her but she couldn't hear him. Come to think of it, she couldn't even hear her own breathing. She seemed to be deaf. Also paralyzed. She was unable to move an inch. Inevitability hit her spine and ran down, shaking her limp legs in what she knew to be fear.

He was upon her now, grabbing her by the shoulders and staring into her.

She hadn't experienced fear like this since the time her mother was killed.

A familiar cruel smile creeped up on his face. He changed his gaze to someone past her. Suddenly, she could hear again. He could hear the chuckles in his throat. She also heard him utter his name.

"Sasuke…"

* * *

"Bad dream?" he asked as he continued peeling the green apple.

She was panting, out of breath. She also seemed to be soaking wet. It was cold sweat. She almost pitied the teenager. His face looked like it was still hurting and he had trouble peeling the apple right but he still tried.

Then she remembered what he had done.

"You're-"

"Yes. None of it was a dream. I killed your beloved rape-snake and douche-brood. I'm also very sorry that you had to experience all of that but what can I say?...Fate." he said with finality as he offered what remained of the apple.

For a few long minutes, they stared at each other before she slapped the fruit out of his hand.

"You're sick. You kill everyone I know and love and you sit there, peeling apple for me?! You Think This Makes Everything Alright?! Do You Even Know How I Feel Right Now?!"

"You feel like there's no more reason to go on. You wish you could kill me right now and lift that weight off of your chest." He said in a despondent tone as he picked the apple up.

she was taken aback as she did not expect this answer. It was actually very accurate. She hadn't noticed but there really was a heaviness on her chest and it was hard to breathe. Every move he made and every word he spoke made her angry.

"What you feel when you look at me is hatred."

He saw through her like an open book. He sat back down and stared at his hands before looking at her.

"I'm sorry."

She laughed mockingly, hatred and anger oozing from her throat.

"I know. I don't get the right to say it but I am. I wish I had killed you…or you me. But now, it's like this. I've kept you alive and now I will take responsibility."

"Oh really? And how's that? You're going to let me pound your face in again?"

"No…i…" he looked to his right, contemplating what to say next.

'this is a disaster.' He thought to himself. He was really kicking himself for not thinking things through before approaching her.

"I get it. You don't want to see my face." He whispered before he left his seat.

He turned the door knob and whispered "I'll fix this…" before he left.

She clutched the pillow as memories of her last encounter with Sasuke crossed her mind. She couldn't find it in herself to stop the tears.

* * *

"So that's the gist of it."

Silence filled the room as each member looked at the other.

"You…want us to make her feel comfortable?" Neji asked dubiously.

"Yes. I've screwed up and now I need your help."

"well I'm in. I think it's nice that Naruto-kun finally has an interest in a girl." TenTen said cheerfully.

"No." he replied matter-of-factly.

"I'll help. When I think about what Naruto has done to her, even I feel pity."

"Dammit shino, I wish I knew when you're joking or not."

"I have no intention of helping." Neji stated with finality before exiting the room.

"I respect your youthful approach, Naruto-kun. I shall assist you."

'yeah...no not you.'

"Thanks. I'll make it up to you all. I'm heading back to the snake pit to pick a few things up for now. here's how it'll go..."

* * *

'What. The. Hell?' she thought as she reassessed the situation.

First thing she knew, she was crying her eyes out in bed. Then these two girls crashed in and dragged her out and took her to the bathhouse after saying some things she couldn't make out.

"Nothing beats a hot bath after a mission well done, right Hinata?"

"Yes."

"What the hell's going on?" she said monotonously as she sank neck deep into the water.

"Oh right. Naruto said we should make you feel comfy. We dropped by to see how you're doing and…well…your clothes were wet and you were crying. So I asked if you want to take a bath. You said yes."

'I'm pretty sure I had said what though…'

"And here we are. I'm TenTen by the way. She's Hinata. She has a crush on Naruto."

"TenTen!" She squealed. She would have turned red but the steam had already taken care of that.

*Splash*

"What the hell is this, some sitcom!? You think you can kill everyone I love and make friends with me? You're as sick as your leader."

"Well…technically, we didn't kill anyone."

"…eh?"

Hinata looked away for some reason and TenTen continued her talk.

"Naruto takes care of the killings. We usually do the subduing."

'Come to think of it…'

they were right. Both Orochimaru and Sasuke were in fact killed by Naruto so she had no reason to hold a grudge against them…

"you helped is what I know and that's reason enough for me to keep my distance."

…but that didn't mean she'd trust them. Her life was in their hands so she didn't really have much of a choice.

"So umm…the view's nice and all but do you mind sitting back down?"

* * *

'Why did I keep her?' he thought as he dodged lee's elbow. He stepped back and realized his mistake. Lee's heel followed his spinning elbow strike and now he was going to get hit again.

*Thwack*

"You're not focused, Naruto-kun."

"No I am not." He said after spitting out the blood in his mouth.

"I don't know why I kept her alive. If I had at least killed her, none of us would have had to suffer. But then again, life's fun is in the sufferings, right?"

*Thwack*

"Stop talking, Naruto-kun."

'You're basically saying shut up but in a youthful way…'

*Thwack*

She was on her way back when he blocked her path. She could clearly feel his killer intent.

"While I'm grateful that you beat him up somewhat, I will not allow you to harm my cousin. Is that clear?"

"Ah…sure."

'I guess he has a big bro complex or something.'

"I'm curious though. Why did you like someone like Uchiha?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's not the friendliest person in the world. Why were you so in love with him that you nearly beat Naruto to death?"

"You wouldn't know if the reason kicked you in the groin."

He did ask a good question though. Why did she like him? He had never shown interest in her. She was contemplating the idea when she noticed the blonde and his thick browed peer sparring outside.

the sight of him made her stomach turn as the images flew back to her.

* * *

The sight of her made his stomach turn as the images flew back to him.

The way she cried silently as she hugged the pillow, as if she was holding on to it and sorrow would sweep her away if she let go.

He could not only imagine her pain. He could feel it. Like an old wound being reopened.

The moonlight only provided so much to him though. It was hard to see through her window into the dark room.

He sighed heavily as he thought things through again. There was no choice.

he knocked on the window. Twice. And again.

"Can I come in?"

He sighed again after seeing her shadow move and braced himself.

He groaned in his throat as the table went flying into his stomach. Good thing he hadn't eaten.

He fell to the dirt and she was over him in seconds.

"Are you some perverted masochist? Do you really want me to beat you to death?"

"Not really. I just want to talk about what happened."

she blinked. That's all she could do at the moment. This guy was full of surprises and all of it made her angrier.

"talk? Talk?! You want me to say how you ruined my perfect day for some stupid revenge?"

*Thwack*

"Why? What did I ever do to you?"

*Thwack*

"Why did I have to suffer for something as stupid as your revenge?! Just when i felt like life was finally...*Hic*..."

Her next fist was weakened by the hiccup in her throat. Her sorrow had taken the best of her. She grew so weak that she fell on his chest and started bawling.

It's amazing how different feelings affect people differently. Rage can be like fuel and just like fuel, it's explosive. It can't be directed. You think you're in control but really, it's controlling you. What comes after the rage is the deep sadness. Grief. That sinking feeling that lets you know it's too late to change anything. And that weakness, that inability is the feeling that brings us down.

Karin was no exception. She cried because deep inside, she knew she'd never see Sasuke's ghost of a smile again. His ignorance. His brooding. He had ceased to exist because of a choice he had made.

"How did it feel?" she asked.

He was not expecting that question…yet. He knew he had to answer that question sometime in the future but still, it was earlier than he had anticipated.

"At first, I felt free."

She slowly got up and walked away without sparing him a second look.

'but then I realized…I had doomed myself.'

He knew the cycle he was stuck in. the cycle of hatred and revenge. Revenge was what drove the victims of the feeling to do unto someone else what had been done to them…and hatred was what blinded the victim from seeing the curse.  
He also knew that those were the words she wanted to hear. freedom. being free of pain, rage and hate.


	3. Chapter 3

Why did he save her? He could have simply killed her, right?

No. he couldn't. he killed for a reason. Orochimaru's subordinates tried to kill him so he killed them back. He killed Orochimaru because…well…he was Orochimaru, he didn't even have to explain himself! Not to mention it was the mission.

Sasuke was a stupid stupid mistake that doomed him in a cycle of-

*Thwack*

"Told you to watch out for the tree."

"Ugh. Yeah. Thanks Ten."

He scratched his nose and continued his musings. Certainly, he had no convincing reason to kill her as she didn't try to kill him. Well she did but that was after he killed the love of her life.

On the other hand, she was working with Orochimaru. Worst part was that now, she was his responsibility and he had absolutely no idea what to say to the kage. But just then, at the pit of despair, he found the answer.

"Karin!" he almost shouted.

"What?" she replied in a higher-than-normal pitch. She was clearly not expecting the gusto he had put in saying her name.

"How do you feel about living with me?"

She sighed in defeat. Why did she have to be captured by him of all people. Just when she thought things would proceed normally in a humanly fashion, this freak of nature had to say something like that.

"Did you hit your head too hard?"

'Shit…I did something stupid again.'

His grin died on his face as realization dawned on him. He wasn't like this. Ever. He would never be so wrapped up in something like this. The teen had a certain way of life. To always stay focused. Yet now, he was in shambles. His mind was wandering to places he didn't think existed.

'Really? You really wanted to ask her to live with you? Maybe I did hit my head too hard.'

For the rest of the tree-jumping, he kept his quiet.

It was pretty damn hard to ignore it now. One question was causing everyone to burn with curiosity. What was wrong with Naruto?

 **Snake Den**

"I see ten in the room up ahead."

"Good work Hinata. Lee. Go with TenTen. Help her out if things get messy. I repeat. IF things get messy. I need you in top condition."

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir."

All was going according to plan. TenTen was a great asset for clearing out the small fry with her far and wide attacks. He intended to keep the rest of his team in top form to face the Sannin and his pupil.

 **Now**

They all looked at him carefully. TenTen genuinely thought that Naruto was hit too hard in the head and his growing simplicity was due to a brain trauma.

"Naruto. Do you remember your-"

"Yes. My brain's fine. I didn't go retarded because I was pounded."

'Yeesh…glad to know some of him's back.'

Indeed. He was returning to his usual self. The foreseeing, analyzing and practical leader. He was beginning to see the fine line between his personal business and his professional business. Why he had mixed things up, he would think about it later but for now, he needed to regain his composure and lead them back safely home.

After a while, Karin decided to get closer to him. The fact that none of the teammates showed any interest meant two things.

One, they were certain she was no match for him.

Two, they were themselves also curious as to what she had to say.

"Hey uh…listen. I know you were trying to be nice and take care of me but-"

"Just stop it. I let my emotions get the best of me in the middle of a mission. I'm just glad I didn't cause any casualties with my idiocy."

"Whoa. What happened to the guy who wanted redemption?"

"my guilt and conscience are of secondary concern. Right now, I need to lead this team back home safely."

" _Don't worry about a thing. Who cares if it's Raigakure? I will lead us all to victory without a single casualty!"_

She could not believe what was happening. Again! He was as unpredictable as Kirigakure's weather. The same guy who stared into her eyes as she beat him bloody with her bare hands was now taking charge and putting her in her place. Right now, she truly felt like a captive. Suddenly, she felt worried about what was coming. She was so lost in her emotions that she had completely forgotten that she was being taken to Konoha, the country that her master invaded. Suddenly, the odds did not seem in her favor.

"don't even think about running away."

"Eh?!" she blurted. It was amazing how he knew.

"How-"

*Thwack*

"That's how. You're distracted. Now that you've remembered what situation you're in, I guessed that you're realizing the worst is about to befall you and…well…the tree just proved me right."

While she groaned in pain as TenTen and Hinata took a closer look at her face, he also pondered.

How was it that they were in sync like this? The connection between them was upsetting to say the least. She seemed to have an effect on him and vice versa. When she was upset, so was he. Now that he's thinking straight again, so is she.

Naruto was all too familiar with "Fate" to pass this as a simple coincidence. He could have easily ignored her pain and killed her. But he didn't. he could have easily dodged her fists. But he didn't. something inside him was keeping him on a certain track of actions and consequences. At first, he thought it was guilt but now…now he was seeing the pattern.

It was an accumulation of so many choices that it reignited his headaches.

He knew that he would die by her hand. One day, he had to give her the opportunity, the same opportunity that he had, and let her decide for herself.

She would have to choose to let him live or die. That was his redemption for his mistake.

The beauty of this "Fate" was the synchronicity of feelings he had with her. If there was a god, this was his way of letting Naruto know if he would die or not when he would give her the knife. He would know if he had succeeded or failed before her knife of hatred found his heart of guilt.

He smiled bitterly as the realization materialized within him.

'I have to die…and I get to know and feel everything.'

Curse. Gift. It didn't matter how you saw it. In the end, good and bad are merely a disposition of the human towards the fact. Naruto's foresight was simply a fact. He always liked to find patterns and see how things would end. How was he to know this pattern?

" _Sasuke! You Will Fucking Pay For This I Swear!"_

This was the biggest pattern of his life so far and it showed his demise. To be honest, he had higher expectations for himself. Dying by his own mistake…was too ironic and unforeseeable a demise for him to ever imagine.

"if you're done, I'd like to get a move on. I don't want to be out in the woods when it's dark."

"But-"

"No Shino. I don't even want to guess how you're going to relate forest nights and insects." He groaned as he rubbed his eyes in frustration. Oh how he enjoyed that familiar feeling of frustration. It meant he was back on his seat. The high seat that allowed him to see everything.

"Hmph. Good to have you back, Naruto."

"not really. Now I feel that stick up my sleeve again. But hey. Misery loves company, right? Sorry I kept you waiting"

'…I take that back.' Neji thought solemnly.

 **Two Days Later**

She stretched and breathed in the fresh air of her home village.

"Good to be home. Hey Hinata. Wanna grab some sweets to celebrate?"

"Right. Thanks for volunteering to report in, TenTen." He groaned tiredly. He had stayed up all the nights on their way. He just couldn't let anyone else be in charge.

"Oh come on. You know you have to do it personally this time." She said as she gestured to the redhead.

"Right, Right." He said as he looked at her.

"Oh. Finally." She said with mock suprirse.

"Hm?"

"Oh? The great seer cannot see into the future and guess why I'm surprised?"

'because I've been ignoring you for the past two days?'

"Nope."

"It's because you've been ignoring me for the past two days. And the first thing you say to me is that?! A half-assed acknowledgement of my existence?!"

'…I was half right.'

"I'm sorry but I needed to stay professional."

"Hah. There's a euphemism for being a dick."

"*Sigh*…such words are unbecoming of you." He said as he turned around and motioned her to follow him.

She mocked him silently as she walked behind him.

"Do you think they'll be alright?"

"I don't care, Lee. I'm going home to shower."

"Yosh! Shino-"

"No."

"Awww…"

 **Hokage Office**

"Greetings, Hokage-sama."

"Ah. Naruto-kun." He smiled as he looked up from his paperworks. A small, curt smile graced his wrinkled lips.

"So good to see you…with a girl nonetheless." He finished with a different, more playful tone.

"Did you fall in love mid-mission?"

"oh god I'm gonna gag…" she muttered to herself as she looked away. It had been a while since she had seen some humane interaction. The blonde murderer was like a log for the rest of the trip. She could get used to this kage.

"Alright then. Mission Report."

And just like that, she kissed normality goodbye. The kage was no better than the Ninja. They were both mercurial creatures.

"Yes sir. Using the insects planted in the teapot, we managed to locate the hideout with Shino's help. With TenTen's help, we managed to keep the assault team from any fatigue as she took care of the less dangerous individuals."

"I see. Go on."

She was indeed impressed. This person seemed to have planned every single step of the plan.

"Yes sir. After finishing the hostile individuals, we located Sasuke Uchiha."

He paused at that and glanced at Karin. She didn't show it but he knew her core was vibrating with emotions.

"After a few moments, our target showed himself. I managed to drive him away…and I assume Jiraya-sensei finished the work."

The kage chuckled with amusement.

"You're right as usual, Naruto-kun. Go on."

"yes sir. After driving the Snake Sannin away…" he looked at Karin. The redhead was looking at the floor. Sometimes, the lack of an action is in itself, proof of something. The fact that she wasn't showing any changes meant she was trying to control herself. Had she lashed out at him or at least twitched an eyebrow, he would have had an easier time with the next words.

"I killed his pupil and my ex-teammate, Sasuke Uchiha. I also decided to take this woman captive."

"Oho? How unusual…"

"Hey! What do you mean unusual?" she finally lashed out. Once again, Naruto was grateful that he could keep his emotions in control…most of the time. He could already see the outcome of her demise.

'She's gonna say something about her importance.'

"I can have useful information you know!"

"About a deadman?" the kage deadpanned.

"W-well…uh…I'm The Last Uzumaki Alive!" she almost blurted. She knew she had to prove her importance if she wanted to stay alive. That's how it was with her mentor. Why should it be any different in the real world?

It took a few moments for her to realize. The room had grown silent. Too silent. The atmosphere was almost heavy now.

"What…did I say something?" she said nervously before looking at Naruto.

The way she looked at her scared her greatly. It wasn't a fearsome look. It was more like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were totally fixed on hers and she was finding it hard to gather herself.

"Come on…what? Is it the Uzumaki thing? I should let you know, my clan died out long ago but it still held great powers in its blood."

The glare in his eyes turned colder and colder by the moment. It was borderline unbearable now.

The kage's laughter finally broke the tension. He lightly tapped the tabletop with his palm before he gave the order that would make her realize exactly why Naruto was staring at her like she was a ghost.

"You killed everyone she knows and you forgot to introduce yourself. Oh my, Naruto-kun. How unexpected of my perfect pupil."

"I apologize Hokage-Sama. No. Danzo-sensei. Karin…I'm Naruto Uzumaki. You and i…share the same blood."

"…eh?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Cold eyes pierced her like daggers as he stepped towards her, his body gently descending from above. It was simply graceful to watch him fall. It was amazing how he carefully took each step towards her, almost dance-like, as if every step had been practiced and honed to perfection. Then again, in the state she was in, everything seemed to be in perfect synchronicity.

The closer he came to her, the more she felt like she would suffocate. Every step towards her seemed to be another brick on her chest, making it harder to breathe.

She could accept everything in the dream except for one thing. The emotionless eyes were acceptable. The blade that was slowly making its way through her fifth and sixth ribs was acceptable. What made the dream extremely strange, aside from the fact that she couldn't wake up, was the sadness and grief she felt in her heart.

 **Present day**

"While your newfound cousin recovers, why don't you tell me precisely what you have in mind. You're not the type to ask for favors and you don't like to put me in an uncomfortable position…do you?" he asked as he narrowed his single open eye.

"Of course not sir. I want her to be my partner." He asked with his head tilted down, his fallen bangs covering parts of his face.

"Hah. Hahaha. Twice in a single day, Naruto-kun. You've taken me by surprise twice in one day." He muttered to himself as he tapped the tabletop with his index finger.

"Hey! What the hell?! I'm not going to be your teammate!" she stated bitterly.

"Oh? Okay. I guess we'll just have to execute you then." The war hawk stated with a careless wave of his hand as he returned to his paperwork.

An ANBU entered the room and he did not look friendly in the least. To her surprise, Naruto was already between her and the possible executioner. For a slight moment, she felt warm inside. It was a familiar feeling. Almost nostalgic.

" _Hurry up. You're taking your mother's place. Let's hope you do better…otherwise, you're sharing her fate."_

Deeply deposited rage began to stir within her. She couldn't be blamed either. Humans are generally forgetful creatures so as compensation, they connect things together in order to remember them better. Unfortunately for her, the idea of safety and protection was connected with desertion and loneliness. The idea of being helped by someone she hated was like a spark to the fuel tank that was sadness.

"I don't need your help." She growled as she grabbed Naruto's knife before she kicked him towards the ANBU.

Unfortunately, the man he crashed into turned out to be a clone. Her anger had distracted her from sensing the Chakra behind her.

Fortunately for her, the kicked Naruto also turned out to be a clone.

"Do you really want to do this, Naruto-kun?" the strongest ninja in the village whispered coldly, promise of imminent death evident in his voice.

To her surprise, she turned to see Naruto behind the ANBU. He had a knife around the man's throat and to show how serious he was, he had already pushed the knife deep enough to make a cut.

"I've already made my decision. I want her as my-"

"Why?! Argh! This Is So Stupid!" she screamed as she stormed out.

The long silence afterwards was broken by the creaking of the chair as the hokage laid back and rubbed his eye.

"What do you have in mind this time, Naruto-kun?" he asked tiredly, too familiar with how insane some of the boy's ideas were.

"Redemption" was all the blonde uttered before vanishing.

"Well…that was self-explanatory."

"ugh. I need sake." The kage grumbled as he began to make a few conjectures about what was about to happen.

 **Ichiraku Ramen**

'huh…birds of a feather I guess' he thought as he took a seat next to the redhead.

"Oh! Welcome back Uzumaki-san!" the old chef greeted with gusto "the usual?"

"Of course." He replied with a smile and a nod.

Awkward silence reigned among the two until he decided it was enough and broke it.

"The smell?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

All she could do was nod in order to hide her embarrassment.

"And you knew I'd find you how?"

"Call it a hunch." She shrugged.

The silence made her look at him. He was looking at her face again and this time, he was smiling.

"You're a terrible liar." He said as he shook his head. He lifted his brows and sighed in defeat.

"Eat as much as you like. If you're already on the second bowl, you must really like it here."

 **Ten Bowls Later.**

He sighed for the seventh time as she burped. She was a complete monster when it came to eating. Such fervor…

"I'm stuffed!" she exclaimed with a happy smile.

"and almost pregnant." He continued as he gestured to her swollen belly.

"I'll be fine. Uzumaki Metabolism!" she stated proudly.

"Wow…I can't. I just can't put myself in your shoes right now." He chuckled. "how can you be happy like this? You were angry enough to kill ten minutes ago."

"yeah I was. I was sad and angry and hateful but now, I'm satisfied so I feel a bit better."

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, contemplating the idea of satisfaction. Could it really be that simple? Why was it so hard for him to feel satisfied? He only felt satisfaction in success after hard work so he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.

"I envy you." He whispered.

"What? It's fine. If you're an Uzumaki, you should have the metabolism and healing too. Though you lack the red hair…hmmm…"

She inspected him closely.

He had three whisker marks on each cheek. They seemed to be fading though. She guessed that they wouldn't be around next year. His spiky hair was almost golden colored with his bangs covering his forehead and almost his eyes. His village insignia was worn around his arm and he had the most peculiar necklace. Contrary to her crimson eyes, his eyes were blue and had a faint shine to them. Last but not least, she felt his chakra. It was…warm and gentle. It was a different vibe from what she was used to but she felt like it was something she could get used to.

Then she remembered Sasuke's Chakra. Lately, it had grown colder and colder, more and more menacing and harmful.

"I envy how easily satisfied you are."

"Hey! I don't have low standards." She replied. "I just enjoy the little things in life."

"I think satisfaction comes in how much people care about something. I care about success so when I succeed, I feel satisfied. You care about your tummy so-"

*Thwack*

"Haha…sorry." He smiled apologetically as he rubbed his head.

"forgiven. You treated me so it's fine."

he sighed in frustration and defeat.

 **Shopping District**

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me? As your teammate I mean."

"isn't it obvious?"

She raised her hand to hit him again but he continued quickly.

"I ruined your life like you said and…I think the least I can do is make it up to you, right?"

"Hah! You sure sound confident."

"I have a feeling…" he whispered to himself as he carried her bags.

 **Apartment**

"The guest room is yours now. Make yourself at home." He said as he put the bags in her room. His arms were sore from the heavy lifting.

"Hey…are…alone…we…" she whispered with pink cheeks.

*Knock Knock*

"Hello Hinata-san."

Hearing those words gave her great relief. For some reason though, she felt a scintilla of bitterness.

"Thanks for coming over. Could you please take care of her while I set the table?"

For the next hour, she made her room with the Hyuuga's help, cleaned it up and went for a shower. Feeling refreshed after a girls' shower, she was drawn to the kitchen by the smell of hot and sweet vegetable curry.

"Smells great, Naruto-kun." Hinata praised as she came in after the redhead.

"Thanks. It's all I'm good at. I think I'll have to learn something other than instant noodles and curry now that I have an extra mouth to feed." He said jokingly and was elbowed in the rib for it.

"Hey! I can take care of myself you know."

"Really? That's great. What can you cook?"

"…"

"Cleaning?"

"…"

"can you at least keep things? Or do you lose keys?"

"…"

"*Sigh*…okay. Let's eat."

"Yes!"

 **Ten Minutes Later**

"Seconds Please!"

He pushed his full plate forward with the hand that wasn't under his chin. He was smiling with amusement as she wolfed down the curry. It was satisfying to succeed in every field, even if the satisfaction comes at the price of another's satisfaction…especially so.

"You sure?"

"You're already halfway through it. Finish yours Hinata. She's already got her eyes on your plate."

"Eep!"

 **Balcony**

"This. Is. the best!" she exclaimed as she stretched in the open air. She sat next to Hinata and took the popsicle she offered. The atmosphere was truly amazing. Naruto raised the volume of his cassette player and sat on the sofa next to Hinata.

"Wow…it's beautiful." She whispered.

"Cherry-colored dream." Naruto whispered back.

How long was it since she felt so at peace? No more doors to lock before going to bed. No more people to satisfy just to keep on living. Her eyes misted over as the music took on a slower and richer tone. The popsicle that was melting in her hand was right. The slow, cold autumn breeze was right. Hinata's napping head on her shoulder was right. She had such a good day too. Probably the best in her life. It was all so unexpected and dream like.

But was it really alright? Was it okay for her to feel so comfortable? What if Orochimaru was alive and-

"Don't worry." He suddenly said, breaking her train of thought. "if you think about stupid things, you'll ruin this moment."

"But how-"

"it's melting."

* * *

That night, she had a dream. A dream about her first Chuunin exam. About the boy who saved her. He and Sasuke looked a lot alike. She could almost swear they were brothers. In the dream, the boy who turned around revealed himself as Sasuke. She was ecstatic to see him.

"You won't believe what a great day I had!" she stated joyfully as she hugged him.

"Let me guess." He said with a harsh tone. "With him."

She turned around and saw Naruto standing on top of a branch. He looked distant. Cold almost. He jumped down from the branch and started to walk towards her. Her heartbeat began to race. His eyes were just like back then. Those were the same eyes he had when he asked to be left alone with Sasuke and yet, something wasn't right.

Sasuke was behind Naruto. He was walking the same way, moving the same way and even had the same distant look. Sasuke and Naruto stopped right before her as she almost suffocated from the pressure. Naruto closed his eyes and bit his lips in resistance, shaking his head to try and fight something back.

Seeing his actions, Sasuke put his hand on his arm and Naruto's cold demeanor returned. With Sasuke's guidance, his hand reached for the knife in his holster. Slowly, he reached forward and penetrated her heart after breaking the skin. And what a deeply pushed knife it was. Her mind was burning with grief as Naruto fell to his knees, holding his head. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **Morning**

After her shower, she was once more, drawn to the fantastic smell of eggs and bacon. The shower-kitchen combo was something she could get used to.

"Whoa! Five eggs for three? And why so much bacon?"

"Are you asking seriously?" he replied monotonously, flipping the bacons skillfully.

"Morning Naruto-kun. Smells great."

"Thanks Hinata-san. Had a good girls' night?" he asked as he put the pan on the table and took his seat.

"Yes. It was very fun carrying her to your bed. How was couch?" she asked with a smile.

He growled under his breath about stiff necks and demons.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I was just very tired with training and all."

"It's fine, Hinata-chan. Spending the night with that bottomless pit is indeed tiring." He replied before beginning to eat.

She said something with her stuffed mouth but none of them could make it out.

He knew what he was going to say next would have dire consequences so he watched her swallow first.

"Have you reconsidered?"

It was amazing how just three words turned the warm cozy atmosphere into an awkward hell. Hinata really didn't want to be there at the moment so all she could do was play with the food on her plate. Naruto was looking at Karin expectantly and she was now playing with her food too.

"Officially, you have no other choices. Unofficially…well…back me up Hinata." He said as he switched from talking to eating.

"Um…you seem like a capable person, Karin-san. I think you have a good personality and it would be really nice if you joined the village." She finished with a small smile.

"Really? Really now, I've been devoting myself unconditionally to the man who unconditionally hated this village and worked to destroy it. Now you're saying we can call things off and be friends?"

"Well…" she fidgeted as she looked at Naruto.

"Just agree to being my partner. I will take care of the rest." He stated curtly. "and before you make some stupid comeback about taking care of yourself or not wanting my pity or whatever, don't forget the situation you're in right now." he continued with a tone of authority. "I kept you alive and now you're my responsibility." He finished with a strange tone she couldn't recognize.

"So what? You own me now?"

"pretty much."

"and let me guess. I have to jump when you say so because otherwise, you'll have my head on a brass plate?"

He sighed with increasing frustration.

"Why aren't you letting me help you? Living with Orochimaru in that snake pit must have been shit. I saw the rooms and the living conditions. What the hell?! You were basically not dying!"

Hinata really didn't want to be there…

"Yeah well it was better than living in some moron's debt!" she yelled back before storming out.

"…did she just walk out on me in her PJs?" he asked with closed eyes, a single hand running through his hair in frustration.

"Please find her for me. And explain to her that I'm the one in debt. I ruined her life and now I owe her one."

She nodded before running out after her, all too happy to be out of the unpleasant situation.

'I guess one's not enough since I took two…' he thought solemnly as he looked at her half empty plate.

For some reason, the sight depressed him greatly. Three half-eaten plates, Two empty chairs and the most crushing sense of loneliness he had had in a while. They were having such a good time too. But he knew it had to be done. The deed can be gilded but it can't be undone.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his stiff wooden chair. It would have been so nice to be alone with himself and his evil deeds…

"Torune. Do you have it?"

"Yes, Uzumaki-sama. Here are both of them."

 **Ichiraku Ramen**

"*Sniff* why didn't he say so in the first place?"

"It's okay Karin-chan. There's no need to cry."

"I'm not Crying! It's this spicy noodle. Oi Techui-jii-san! Is this really naruto's special?!" she asked incredulously.

"yes ma'am. It's what he orders all the time. He says it opens his appetite."

'And he's darn right!'

"Two more bowls jii-san. His special and mine."

"Comin' right up."

"Put it on his tab."

"Yes ma'am."

Once again…Hinata was in an awkward situation.

* * *

They were on their way home after a long walk through the shopping district. She had bought him a little gift to make up for her attitude. On his tab of course.

"I love how everyone knows him. I just say put it on his tab and they all smile back!" she exclaimed happily.

Hinata laughed nervously in return. She had told them to send Naruto the bill because he didn't really shop except for groceries.

'I hope he doesn't get mad at me for not stopping her…'

"So how come everyone knows him?" she finally asked.

"He's...ummm…it's complicated. I think you should ask him yourself. He'll explain it better."

"Well as long as he shows some gratitude. It took a while to choose this." She gestured to the bag in her hand.

After exploring the entire shopping district, and of course treating herself to all kinds of pastry and deliciousness, she managed to find something she thought suited him. It was a white hoodie with her favorite swirl mark on it. It was small and almost unnoticeable but she loved it nonetheless.

Eager to give him the present and make up for everything, she kicked the door open with joy.

"Surprise!" she yelled as she displayed the hoodie. The scenery though was far from what she had expected. To say it was shocking was an understatement.

The ANBU she saw in the Kage office was there with him and he was inspecting the Kusanagi.

Hinata, having had her fill of awkward situations was gone when Naruto nodded to her.

"Thanks Torune." He said curtly, dismissing him.

"Karin…" he said almost whisper-like as the hoodie fell from her hand. But he knew it had to be done. It was the right thing and that was precisely why it was so hard.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you twice in one day. I wanted to ask you whether you wanted this or not."

She didn't really process all of it. All she knew was that now, her hands were stinging and His red cheek was in no better condition. He slowly turned his head back towards her, looking only at her feet as he held the sword towards her.

"How?" she asked with a breaking voice. "How can you play with my feelings like this? Do you even care about how I feel? Is your sense of justice so important that you have to sacrifice everything?"

"Are you saying you don't want to kill me?" he said as he looked straight into her misty eyes.

She opened her mouth to say yes and end all the pain but she couldn't. she was frozen. Sasuke was standing behind him. She blinked to see if he would disappear but he didn't. he was looking at the sword with a displeased demeanor. Wordlessly, she took the blade from Naruto without taking her eyes off of him. He closed his eyes in satisfaction before he disappeared.

After she took the blade and went to her room, Naruto chose to take a shower. as he sat in the warm soapy water, he contemplated his next move...and what he had seen. He had seen Sasuke behind her and he knew what it meant. An unsolved piece named Sasuke was inside both of them and it had to be taken care of before they could move on.


	5. Chapter 5

As humans, we're eternally baffled by questions that have changing answers according to the juncture of our lives.  
Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?  
We may come to an answer at some point but the answer will only suffice for that phase. It is not enough for all stages.

Unlike our way of life, which will change accordingly, the way we love is pretty much set. At some point in life, we have to choose what kind of a romantic person we are and there are two aspects to love that delineate our course of action.

love lost or love found.

Whichever one we call "Beautiful" is the one that determines the outcome of all our relationships. Knowingly or unknowingly, we'll be searching for it with an insatiable thirst in our souls.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, as a young man, noticed this certain gift of his after his first heartbreak. Gift. Curse. Good. Bad. They're both different aspects to a given fact and none of them mattered. bias was not a luxury for him to afford just yet as he had not earned it.

How was he to know that Danzo had actually planned all of it?

And how was Danzo to know what he would awaken in him?

He was ten years old back then. Even while he was trying to be a humble star student, Danzo knew that youth and pride came hand in hand. He had had just the plan to take care of the weakness that was "pride" in Naruto.

Naruto was assigned to an assassination mission with a peer of his own age. Danzo's hope in the saying "boys will be boys" was rewarded by the shine he noticed in Naruto's eyes when he saw his teammate. Danzo knew that gleam. He wanted to impress her. To protect her.

"For the sake of this mission and its secrecy, you will be Brother and you'll be sister." He ordered as he handed them both the scrolls. Little did they know why he had chosen those specific titles.

* * *

"Alright bro. the guards are out."

"It's Brother. Also, I'm heading in."

He had to admire her Genjutsu ability. To deal with the guards from such a range. Not to mention that she was outside the building. He looked at the charm she had given him. She said anyone in the charm's range was in her Genjutsu range. The possibilities were infinite to him.

"Oh and bro."

"Brother." He clicked his tongue as he spoke to the charm.

"Give him the end he deserves."

He did not reply. He simply approached the snoring man. The reports claimed that he was a human trafficker. Incidentally, Sister was a victim of human trafficking. He could easily understand why she said that but something gnawed at the edge of his conscience.

'feelings…mission…'

"You got it…sis."

* * *

"Did you really think I'd be so easy to kill?"

It was the target. He was still alive. Apparently, he had killed a doppelganger. They were now surrounded by a small army outside of the castle gates. What an unexpected end to such a seemingly successful mission…to one person at least. for her, it was far from over as she drew her Kodachi. Naruto was frozen still. This was not part of his plan. His perfect perfect plan had gone to hell. He watched sister's mouth move but heard nothing. He felt nothing either as the soldiers beat him to a pulp. He was still wondering one thing.

'How?'

* * *

Danzo opened the chest. It was filled with golden ingots. He smiled faintly as he closed it.

'if either one of them makes it out, a sea of this would not compare to the achievement.'

* * *

Things had gone downhill after the capture. He had been imprisoned separately. Every day, the guards that walked by his cell spoke of only one topic.

"you know, she's just not the same as the first day."

"I agree. The first day, she was tight. Energetic. And most of all…what's that word…"

"Alive?"

"Bingo."

"Haha. You sick bastard."

His head twitched to the left as the guards passed by his cell bars. His hands were shackled and his eyes had changed. Not color or shape. They had changed from being the eyes of a mere ten-year-old.

Every day, he was beaten senseless and by the next morning, he would be utterly fine. He would question that but he wasn't exactly in the "analyzing" mood. All he wanted was his death…or theirs. They wouldn't stop talking.

On his second week of imprisonment, he started seeing her. At first, he ignored it as hallucination or even as a hostile illusion…but soon, she started moving his body. She wouldn't speak but she would run her hand through his hair and pull it painfully or she would pull his arms the wrong way. Strange enough, she broke his fingers to help him slip out of his handcuffs on the third week.

"Trust me bro." She whispered as her hands slid down his arms. Compared to the beatings he received, it was nothing but still, her hands seemed to hurt him more than the guards' ragged ones.

He found the guards and beat the info he wanted out of them. He smirked at the irony of torturing his torturers for two bits of info.

* * *

He finally found the room.

"Stress relief" was written above it. It seemed more like a saloon door than a room door. He opened the door to a sick sight of less than ten women lying on dirty futon.

"Where is she? Where's-" he couldn't finish as his eyes fell to the floor. He didn't even know her name.

'Fuck...'

"Where's my sister? She was as old as me."

The braver one of the bunch stood up with a thin blanket wrapped around her and approached him. She had that look in her eyes. The look a person has before they give unpleasant news. Discomfort and pity.

"A girl committed suicide last week. she bit her own tongue and..."

Again, something at the edge of his mind strove to break through something. Last week…what started last week…

He looked behind and saw her smiling. He turned back to the woman and he could see it clearly. They couldn't see sister.

* * *

Long story short, he didn't have to hold back anymore because he didn't have anyone to protect. He had nothing to lose.

In a matter of hours, he laid waste to the entire town, watching her laugh alongside him all the time. he used his strange healing ability to go berserk without any fear of his health.

Saving the best for the last, he slowly made his way towards the target who was hiding in his so called panic-room.

He didn't even hear him anymore. He was just letting her hand guide his katana into the man's chest.

She stopped existing when he stopped breathing.

He didn't go back immediately of course. He found her body and gave her a proper funeral. He grieved for two days, contemplating all that had happened.

Why did he start seeing her? Was it malnourishment? A genjutsu? Was he going insane?

There was no answer…of course.

* * *

Danzo was pleased by what he saw. The boy had become a man. There's a fine line between a man and a tool. Choice. Danzo had constructed his perfect tool.

Most people relate manliness to vigor and strength but no, to Danzo, being a man is doing what's needed. That has always been a man's role. To provide and perform, do what's needed, never asking for anything. Because how can they? A good deed must be praised not flaunted. That would defeat the purpose and turn goodness into exhibition. It has been a man's role to do just that without staining the act.

Naruto seemed to have learned that lesson. The mission was what needed to be done and his personal feelings were what defeated the purpose of his involvement.

That was the beginning of his golden streak.

* * *

The second time it happened was when he had found Sasuke. It was that feeling. That all too familiar feeling of _control_.

He was wrong though. What he felt was the illusion of control. If his mind was his own, he wouldn't have created that grim cycle of revenge and hatred.

He allowed Sakura to guide his hand into Sasuke's face. The face that was molded by god himself to be one day the ruler of the Uchiha.

Alas.

He had realized it too late.

He had realized what it all meant when he walked up to the surface of the snake den.

The grand scheme he was caught in.

He was haunted by his own mistakes. His weakness had been personified and he had allowed it to control him. Sister hadn't really killed the target. Naruto did. Sakura would have never wanted him to kill his teammate. Naruto did.

Had he been _strong_ when they were surrounded, he would have been able to save her.

Had he been _strong_ when he tried to kill him, she wouldn't have burned for him.

Had he been _strong_ , he would have held his hand back and he wouldn't have awakened the weakness in another.

We are our own greatest enemies. He had paid quite the price to learn that. His life.

He wasn't strong. he was weak and he had been hurting others because of it. Sister. Sakura. And now, he was expecting the knife that will cut deep. The knife his mistake had sharpened. Karin.

He had seen Sasuke behind her. No matter how much he had provided for her over the days, the sight of Sasuke's memento had muddled her mind in a moment.

The big question was how to get rid of her problem? How to prevent her from making the same mistake as him…how to eradicate her _weakness_.

So far, he had experienced one solution. The easy way. Giving it what it wants.

Sure, the consequences are dire and not worth it but…aren't they worth it if it means you grow stronger and that that weakness doesn't haunt you anymore?

Such were the problems that boggled his mind at three in the morning as he listened to the cassette player.

'Is there really no other way?'

'Do I really have to die?'

'can't I just kill her?'

'isn't my life more precious than hers?'

'no. that would be covering a mistake with a bigger mistake.'

'I should've killed her in that goddamn pit.'

'but is it really a mistake?'

'isn't it a mistake to let her kill me?'

'that's egoistic and self-centered.'

'Is Everything A Goddamn Mistake To You?!'

*Thwack*

He punched the pillow in frustration. Things were looking bleak to say the least. His conscience wouldn't allow him to kill her and his pride was eating away at him. Then again, he couldn't really call it _pride_. It was just much simpler than that. It was his _self_. His desire to live.

'live for what? I made a mistake and now I need to pay the price.' He thought to himself as he made his way to the shower. He passed by the Sasuke that was lying on his couch, staring at him emotionlessly.

"I'd rather die than to see your face everyday…"

* * *

" _reporting back on the assignment."_

" _and how does a recon assignment end up in a report of a drug lord ring suddenly disappearing?"_

" _I got caught"_

" _Really?"_

" _Yes. they saw me and they tried to catch me. I had to escape."_

 _'he changed it from caught to try to catch...is he stupid or does he just not care?'_

" _and they were obstructing my fastest nin's escape route?"_

 _All he did was smile. Danzo knew what he had done and he wasn't lying. He had shown himself and the thugs, being the thugs they were, tried to beat his star student. Of course he had to defend himself. Through those means, he found the excuse to execute everyone. Truly…_

" _Oh well. Did you at least retrieve the list as your bonus task?"_

 _He put a box on the desk._

" _too lazy. I just brought all of them."_

 _Truly…baffling._

* * *

"are you sure?" she asked dubiously.

"I've seen that look before" Danzo groaned as he signed the necessary papers without taking his eyes off of Naruto's smile. He was wearing the same smile as every other so called "recon" mission he had.

'maybe he's come to his senses and wants to kill her and be done with this.' He hoped. The smile lit a little ember of hope in him that his star nin hadn't gone awry.

* * *

As he walked to his destination, trying his best not to answer her superfluous questions, he used the chance to take a walk down his memory lane.

'wow…my love-life sucks.' He admitted to himself as he chuckled.

"What's so funny?!" she asked furiously. Clearly, ignorance was not on her tolerance list.

He's been losing all the girls he had taken a fancy to.

He didn't even know her first crush's name. they didn't get that far.

Her relationship with sakura was going good. Normal and teenage-ish…how he had hoped things to be. That went down unexpectedly. He could never have imagined things would go from problematic to catastrophic in his own team.

'and now this.' He thought as he stared at the furious red eyes that wanted to kill him out of frustration rather than rage or hate. he had grown a habit of looking at them constantly in the few days they had spent together.

"What is it?" he asked with the same smile that frustrated her to no end.

"I'm telling you! We passed the recon point a mile ago!"

"oh. Really?" he said as he scratched his head.

"oh well." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.

*Thwack*

"How could a moron like you beat the strongest nin…" she whispered as she leaned on a tree with her arms crossed.

"Truth be told, the Sannin got that name for losing." He said with a confident smirk as he pulled out a small scroll.

"Shut it. And what's that supposed to-"

His demeanor went from friendly to a macabre monotony as he swung Sasuke's sword nonchalantly.

* * *

"Hmm?"

He opened the box. it was sent by Naruto. the room was filled with such tension that his Guards immediately crashed through the doors.

"Hokage-Sama!" they exclaimed "is everything okay?"

And they realized too late. the letter he was reading had "Last will" written behind it in Naruto's familiar crappy handwriting.

* * *

'shitshitshit! Is he going to kill me? But-'

"I'm not going to kill you so stop backing into the tree, it's inanimate and immovable…by you anyway." He said as he threw the blade. It landed by her feet.

"I took the liberty of stealing it from your room. Hope you don't mind." He said with the inscrutable demeanor his village's nin were all too familiar with and afraid of.

"What…is this, Naruto?"

"Take it. I want you to take that blade."

His gaze switched from her eyes to her left. He was staring intensely at something. What? She turned and saw him.

"S-Sasuke?" she whispered.

He chose to stay silent and allowed the spectre to guide her.

'so that's what it's like…' he smiled faintly as her eyes took a blank demeanor. She was under Sasuke's spell. his mistake's spell to be correct.

'well…this is going differently.' His smile grew as she inched closer.

"Hey. Karin." He whispered but he knew she couldn't hear him. He'd been there.

* * *

 _"Stop moving uselessly." he growled under his breath as he tried his best at this._

 _"Stop moving uselessly." she imitated him with a deeper sarcastic voice as she sent a kick to his head._

 _*Thwack*_

 _"I don't sound like that." he growled as he rubbed his temples._

 _'you do though.' Lee thought to himself as he watched Naruto try to work on her Taijutsu._

* * *

"I can't believe it but…I think I had a crush on you the moment I saw you."

The blade's tip rested under his left breast.

"I mean…why else would I have let you-"

He gasped for air as the blade pierced his lungs. Soon, the gasp was followed by bloody cough, a result of his damaged heart.

* * *

 _He was watching her with a satisfied smile as she finished her third bowl. he rested his head on his palm as he raised three fingers for the chef._

 _"Three specials, coming up."_

 _"Hey! Are you saying-"_

 _"Don't." he stopped her with a stern tone._

 _Ayame, the waitress, couldn't help but giggle._

 _"You two make a cute couple."_

* * *

"Haha…why else would I have let you live?" he asked with a smile as Sasuke disappeared.

This moment had a nostalgic beauty for him. He didn't know why but it reminded him of the moment he opened the doors to "stress relief" and the smell of burning flesh.

'I must have known that you would be my savior…'

"I felt it…in…my…sou…"


	6. Chapter 6

He couldn't imagine this situation in his wildest dreams. He was stuck in a crucible of emotions that were pounding away at his soul. His own feelings of passion for Karin. The hatred that she was sending through him. The twist of fate that was playing before him. They say life flashes before your eyes before you die but all he saw was an end to a pattern called "life".  
he hated to admit it but predicting it wasn't helping either. The difference between expectation and reality is experience and oh how it hurts to inhale only to find nothing filling your lungs. He was half grateful when she pierced the lungs and he was physically forced to breathe.

* * *

She screamed with every fiber of her being as her chains rushed at the masked man. Even though she had a hole in her chest, the drive to save her baby pushed her to create a hundred chains to hunt the man down.  
said man was beyond startled by a mother's drive and that moment of weakness was all a calm but deadly father needed to seal him away.

* * *

"What…the hell?" he whispered as he felt his knees tremble with weakness. Seeing his beloved root and all his years of work fall like flies had taken a toll but not as much as seeing this.

Hiruzen was barely alive with a seal mark on his stomach that was similar to the seal mark on the infant, but smaller.  
Minato and his wife were dead to say the least. they both had a hole the size of a small window in their torso.  
it was easy to guess what caused the injury but what had transpired? He would have to wait. Right now, he had to save his teammate and his Hokage's legacy.

* * *

The first thing he asked when he woke up was Naruto's whereabouts. Danzo assured him that he was safe in the hospital.

"Well well. Don't trust your own roots with this one?"

"No…" he whispered as he looked down. "I've realized how limited a tool's power is."

"So you've changed."

"Yes." He said with determination this time. "I will build a stronger root."

'…not what I had in mind.'

"What happened, Hiruzen? How did Minato and Kushina die? And why do you have that seal?"

"The sealing ritual was interrupted. Kushina tried to hold back the fox and Minato tried to seal it in his son, Naruto." He paused at the name for a moment. "I was there when it was happening. The masked man who was controlling the Kyuubi appeared and he was…invincible."

"What?"

"All my attacks passed right through him like he was a ghost. I couldn't stop him."

"So…" he rubbed his chin as he put two and two together.

"So instead of splitting the fox and sealing it in himself and Naruto, he had to seal all of it in Naruto. I'm glad he survived but…we need to watch him for any changes."

"And the masked man?"

"Minato was faster and stronger of course." He said with the pride of a mentor. "but…not good enough. He only managed to land a single strike on him. That gave him enough to know what to do…he sealed him in me."

His gaze fell to Hiruzen's stomach as his fingers stopped rubbing his stubble.

"What will you do now?"

"Retire of course."

There was a long moment of silence.

"What will you do now?" he repeated the question, ignoring reality.

"I'm going to retire, take a grand vacation and live as long as possible before I die and release him. By then, I'm hoping Naruto will be all grown and able to defend himself from him. I don't think years and years of solitude will treat his mentality kindly and he'll be looking for revenge."

It was sound. No way through it.

"Okay…who will take your place?" he asked as he shifted in his seat.

"That is not up to me. I can only suggest. It will be up to the council to decide that."

"I see…"

"Oh and Danzo."

"Hmm?"

"Good luck. I hope you make a better army, capable of inheriting the will of fire to protect us."

He grunted as he made his way out of the room.

* * *

"The council has decided. As neither Jiraya nor Tsunade are willing to take Sarutobi Hiruzen's place, Danzo Shimura is the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure."

He wasted no time in repairing his beloved village and revising The Root. He decided to disband what remained and turned them into his personal guard. It was time to act true to the word and build them from the roots. From then on, he would attend the academies personally in his little free time and every year, he would teach one class of star students personally.  
If he was to build strong people, he would have to keep their drive. Their will…he hated to admit it but Hiruzen was right about that.  
First things first though. He created an orphanage in Minato's name for the children who suffered from the Kyuubi's attack. What better place to start? And what better place to place the man's son in and keep an eye on him, raising him from behind the curtains?

* * *

He first suggested it when Naruto was seven. He watched how they played tag and the team that followed Naruto always won. He liked what he saw. A cool head that was capable of guiding the team to victory through any means…meaning he had no problem tripping the opponents and letting the teammates take care of the rest.

* * *

After his initiation and experiencing loss of a loved one, Danzo could not stop smiling at the sight of him. He had become everything the man ever wanted in root. Mature. Strong. best of all, foreseeing.  
It was time to get practical and insert him into society.

* * *

'So…this is what Torune called the most peculiar class yet?' he thought as he looked at his new students.

"Alright. You are class twenty-seven. I will take attendance now. Haruno Sakura."

"Present, Hokage-Sama."

"You will address me as Sensei from now on. Uzumaki Naruto."

"Present, Hokage-Sensei." He said with a knowing grin. The chalk went flying for his head but he dodged it and it hit the boy behind him.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

He growled under his breath as he rubbed his forehead.

"Present."

"Hyuuga Hinata."

"P-Present."

"Aburame Shino."

"Present"

"Hmm…TenTen, Lee and Neji."

"Present."

"Why is it stated that you three are older than the rest?"

"We failed a year on purpose, Hokage-Sensei." The Hyuuga responded.

'Ugh…' he rubbed his eyes. 'Dammit Naruto, now the name's stuck on me.'

Said boy was smiling nonchalantly. Indeed. He had never before seen an eleven-year-old smile so innocently and manage to hide something so...strange.  
He could guess why they failed themselves so he saw no point in delving further into the matter.

"Everyone's present then. Let's start with an evaluation first."

 **Training Field Twenty-seven**

"You will split into two groups and try to defeat him." He said as he pointed at the masked ANBU.

"Begin." He said without a care in the world as he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. He flipped the pages over as he drank his tea.

"What are you doing and why are you not assisting your teammates?"

"just gathering info." He said as he flipped a page back.

*Thwack*

"What? You didn't say anything about how we accomplish the mission."

"I enjoy expressing my frustration." He said as he sipped the tea.

He didn't really expect them to split up. The classes never did. If they ever did, he'd just walk away because they didn't know the most basic principle of teamwork.  
The team of seven tried desperately to land a blow on the ANBU but they failed…of course.  
after ten minutes of observation, he stood up with that familiar and terrifying smile.

"Game on…" he whispered and the smile disappeared.  
"Alright my dear dear team. Regroup."  
no one listened…of course. He had to make a point so he jumped between Lee and the ANBU, kicking both in the gut and driving them away.  
"I said regroup, Lee-san. Isn't that the best of part of a team? Going back to each other?" he said with a wink as he walked away. The rest of them acquiesced to his demand. They had tried everything else so why not?

"Okay let's see…uh…I'll be needing Lee, Neji and Sasuke. You three are going in first. Do your worst." He said as he patted Neji on the back. He didn't let it show but he enjoyed the growl he drew out of him.  
"backup will arrive shortly."

"Okay team two…uh…Sakura, TenTen and Hinata. I want you to back them up. Sakura with Sasuke. Hinata with your sensitive cousin and Tenten with your…" he paused as he looked at Lee. "with Godlybrows. I want you to attack with your teammates. When they push him back, be sure to strike from the back. Don't let him breathe. Don't tire yourselves out either. There's no time limit so I want to drag this out. Go."

The second group was much more willing to head into action when they left.

"Why did you not explain anything to the boys, Uzumaki-san?"

"Why bother? Two of'em looked cocky so I'll prove myself by doing not by talking."

"Hmm…you are very capable."

"And you are very creepy. I like your tone but I see the potential in you nonetheless. You're a creeper."

"I do not enjoy-"

"yeah whatever." He cut him short as he watched his teammates in action. Sasuke and Neji were reluctant in working with the girls but Lee seemed to have no problem adapting. It was either due to his age or a lack of ego. he liked that in him. he might get along with him.

"And what will I do?"

"Do you have any paralyzing or sedating or…uh…any disabling insects?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Plant some on me."

"Eh?"

He was not expecting that. He expected him to say something like "go in there when he's tired and knock him out" but he clearly had something else in mind.

"Come on. I need to prove my worth to the team and so do you. Two hands make more sound than one, right?"

"is that really the reason?

"no i just hate seeing you hurt so i'm going to do the dangerous thing." he said sarcastically.

"…You are very creepy, Naruto-kun."

'Ugh…' he rubbed his eyes "somehow, it hurts more when I hear it from someone like you."

'or was he kidding?'

After noticing a lack of grace in the ANBU's movement, he rushed in. he even yelled like an idiot. He reached his goal nonetheless. The ANBU planted a fist deep in his gut…of course.  
As he had expected, the ANBU had been warned about him and wasted no time in trying to knock him out.

"Hah…you're so easy." He whispered as the ANBU fainted.

Shino approached the sleeping ANBU and gathered his bugs. After a few moments of staring, he shook Naruto's hand.

'that's one.' He thought as the girls and lee approached him.

"way to go Naruto-kun."

"Well Done Naruto-Kun! Your Youth Has Guided Us To Victory!"

'I'm…not going to tolerate that.' He thought with a smile that Lee would soon recognize as fearsome.

* * *

It became an unwritten rule afterwards. That Naruto would lead and the rest would follow. He had his problems with Neji and Sasuke but he'd solve those too.

One day, he found Neji alone, meditating in field twenty-seven.

"Greetings, Naruto-kun."

He said nothing as he narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. Sensing Naruto's hostile intention, he stood up and activated his Byakugan.

"Are you here for a spar?"

Every man is made up of his beliefs. Know the beliefs and you know the person. Simple math. to him anyway. He could care less about details such as emotions and tragedies. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards the Hyuuga in stance.

"What do you believe in, Hyuuga Neji?"

"Hmph. I believe that you are a fool." He said before appearing behind Naruto, his fingers on his spine.

"Oh really?" an intimidating voice behind him whispered as he felt a cold blade on his own spine. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke and left the two in an awkward situation.

"What do you believe in, Hyuuga? Power? Fame? Religion?"

"I believe in destiny."

He narrowed his eyes at that. Taking the blade back and putting it in its holster, he walked around him in circles.

"Destiny? As in…we're all in one set course and we have no escape?"

"Yes. Just as it is your destiny to lose to me…and just as it was my destiny to be in the branch." He said as he took his forehead protector off. "but I assume you already knew since the day you read the files."

He stopped in front of the Hyuuga and spared him no glance. His mouth was curved in a downward line, showing his disgust.

"You know, I thought that you'd be worth more as a top student but with this…I'm not holding back."

He took a black leather glove out of his pocket and wore it on his left hand.

"Oh and for your information, this glove has iron knuckles to help me parry and punch at the same time. Don't say it wasn't destiny or some shit like that."

"How Dare You?!" he yelled as he sent a palm towards Naruto's face. he was outraged at his words. he appeared out of nowhere and spat on his beliefs. it was unacceptable.  
Eyes wide and full of determination, he sent his own right fist flying towards the palm. Needless to say, both arms fell limp. One was paralyzed and the other was dislocated.

"Mine will recover in minutes but what about you, Hyuuga? How does your destiny look now?"

The pain was waking him out of his raging stupor. he was beginning to question the blonde's motives.

"W…what do you want? Why are you doing this?"

"I want to crush your belief, Little boy. I want to break you and rebuild you as a stronger man." He said with a low voice, full of joy and anticipation.

"W…why?"

"Because weakness only breeds pain and you are WEAK!"

*Thwack*

He proceeded to go out of his usual boundaries and beat the Hyuuga senseless. It was easy to aim for the weak parts of the human body. He learned the best spots when he was being tortured and oh how he enjoyed aiming for them.

"Stop!"

"Why?! Wasn't it my destiny to fall before you?"

"What about my destiny?"

"Hah. YOUR destiny? Who do you think YOU are, Neji?"

He stared at him dumbfounded. What was he saying?

"you are nothing but your actions, Hyuuga Neji. What you do defines who you are. It's not that you were chosen by some luck of draw that determines what you turn out to be. We're all born in the middle. We don't begin at the start. We begin at the middle…and you my precious precious teammate, have lost sight of the greatest gift we have over other animals." He growled as he raised his fist.  
"the gift of choice."

*Thwack*

Needless to say, after coming out of the hospital, he was in a brighter mood…of course. Not that it mattered to Naruto. All he wanted was his obedience. If solving his crisis was the way to get it, he was more than happy to oblige. Success was all that mattered to him.

Having the majority was enough for him. Sasuke would have to come around. One way or another. Neji's assistance was priceless to him and his tactics so it was a necessity to have him but the same could not be said for the Uchiha. He was strong, he gave him that, but he could already accomplish enough with what he had. The Uchiha would be left for a later time. If only he knew the consequence of that decision.

* * *

 _"I mean he's not the friendliest person in the world. Why were you so in love with him that you nearly beat Naruto to death?"_

She remembered the hyuuga's simple question as his warm blood reached down the cold blade and soaked her sleeves.

 _"At first, I felt free."_

He was right. He was completely right. She felt free…but only at first. Now that he had stopped breathing, she just realized what she had done and to whom.

She remembered the way he'd rest his head on his palm and look at her chow down the ramen. He didn't notice but she too was staring back at him. Just as he was memorizing her facial features, she too was looking at his face. Sometimes, she enjoyed the slight movements of his face. It meant he was happy but some habit was keeping him from expressing it. her heart would beat with joy when she thought that merely looking at her face brought a hidden smile to Naruto's face.

Then she remembered the dream. In the dream, he had pierced her though. She felt everything. The blade's coldness. The pain in her heart. It was unbearable. Was that how he felt? Was that how she had made him feel when she plunged the blade deep into him and stuck it out the other side?

One thing burned through her mind as she let go of the blade and let him fall like a log.

"Why?..."

"Because the person you killed is a strong believer of fate." Said the stern voice behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

'The toad sage!' she thought with paralyzing fear as the man took slow and heavy steps towards them. Clearly, There were mixed feeling in his eyes. It was like he was trying to keep strong but the sight before him was sinking the man's spirits.

"Please-"

"Stop." He cut her short with his hand raised. "I'm not going to kill you. Naruto asked me to deliver you safely to Danzo."

"What?" she whispered.

"He knew what was going to happen, Karin. He told me that he had seen everything in a dream." He explained as he checked Naruto's pulse. She could see the man's hand shake slightly.

'A dream? Could it be…'

* * *

"Narutooooooooooooooooo!"  
His loss of concentration sent a ripple on the lake he was currently sitting on. He opened his right eye with annoyance and tried sending a smile Lee's way.  
"Hello Lee. What can I do for you?"  
"I was looking for a partner to train with but no one would volunteer. Then I found you. Who better than my leader to train me?" he said with a certain fire in his eyes.  
'I guess now's a good time as any.' He thought to himself as he got up. 'if I dial him down a little, I'll be doing the world a favor.'  
"What do you believe in, Lee?" he asked as he started walking towards the boy who slipped into his Taijutsu stance.  
"I believe that Youth Will Prevail Over Any Adversity!" he almost shouted with excitement.  
"Is that so?" he asked with a certain smile that didn't quite stretch his lips. He knew Lee's background. Lee had no talent whatsoever as a ninja but he had phenomenal Taijutsu prowess. Such that Naruto had to push himself to the limit since the initiation day. He didn't know if he was ready yet since he had different plans on how to deal with the fighting machine but in his meditation, he could hear a certain whisper. Not in his head or heart but somewhere else. He felt like he was part of something bigger. Something was telling Naruto that he was ready for what was coming. As the distance between them shrank, the excitement in both teens rose.  
"You have a lot of heart, Lee, But do you have the means to control it?" he asked as his pace grew faster, almost jog-like.  
"I follow my heart, Naruto-san. My heart will never fail me." He replied with determination in his eyes.  
Without another word to say, Naruto steadied himself for a long long fight. He only hoped that what he learned about himself when he was being tortured would help him out. That his quick healing wasn't a figment of his imagination.  
To change Lee's ideas, he would have to go out of his way and into Lee's territory. To beat him at what he thought he was best at. With Neji, it was much easier as he was a man of ideas. With Lee, it was different. Naruto knew that Lee would be a man of fervent feelings so he needed to prove him otherwise with actions rather than words.  
As he had hoped, the regeneration was working. After his first exchange of fists, he clearly felt his knuckles break. he could feel them grow back into place as he watched Lee's bleeding knuckle. The pain was borderline unbearable.  
"That was well-struck, Naruto-kun, but I think you should see-"  
Before Lee could finish, Naruto sent the same fist flying for his jaw. To Lee's shock, the knuckles were as firm as before and the strike sent him into a daze.  
"What?" he asked himself as he tried to regain his composure.  
Naruto knew that his knuckles were only the beginning. He would have to endure many more broken bones in his long fight with Lee but he could only hope that it would be worth it and his actions would put Lee in the right state, The right mood to accept Naruto's words and change himself.  
After several more minutes of fighting and bashing, Lee was feeling strange. He felt like something was off. Naruto hadn't spoken a single word and hadn't shown a single sign of suffering from injuries.  
"Am I in a Genjutsu, Naruto-kun?" he asked as he let his guard down. The kick he received for his oversight felt nothing like an illusion. As he went flying for the tree next to him, he could think of only one thing.  
'why?'  
after getting up, he got into a defensive stance which got Naruto's attention. He smiled once more. This time, the smile sent a shiver down Lee's spine.  
"Why are you doing this, Naruto-kun? I know you are in pain. I have felt your knuckles break. Why are you going through this?"  
"To teach you, Lee." He spoke in a low tone as he approached him. "That your heart isn't enough."  
Lee smirked at that.  
"I'm sorry to say your efforts have been in vain, Naruto-kun. I will stay true to my path."  
"I'm counting on it." Naruto replied before he slid under lee's defense and delivered a knee to his gut.  
"Your heart is not enough, Lee." He said as he grabbed the back of Lee's neck with his hands and began sending multiple knee strikes to his rib cage.  
"You have to learn to use your mind to direct all that energy."  
Feeling overwhelmed by the knee strikes, Lee made the mistake of trying to block Naruto's attacks, leaving his head exposed. More than obliged to act, Naruto stroke Lee's forehead with his own and followed it with an elbow to the jaw. Lee was not feeling right at this point. He felt something new. Something that demanded. Something that drove him to stare daggers into Naruto.  
"There's no way I can beat you in Taijutsu…by facts anyway. So why are you backing away from me now?" he asked the boy who was once more dizzied by Naruto's strikes.  
"I Can't Lose!" Lee shouted before taking his weights off.  
'Shit.' Naruto thought as he braced himself for a world of pain. For him, now came the hard part. Withstanding Lee's strikes.  
It wasn't easy nor was it short-lived. In fact, it was worse than the time he had spent in prison. By the time Lee started to run out of breath, he was beaten blue all over. His regeneration was as much a curse as it was a blessing. Through all of it, only one thing gave him the willpower to stand strong.  
"All done?" he asked with a grin as he fell on his knees. he felt the searing pain of his bones reconnecting and fusing. It made him want to throw up and pass out.  
"Why? Why are you doing this to yourself?" Lee asked as he panted for air, In a tone mixed with rage and concern.  
"What are you saying, Lee? You did this to me." He said with that same terrifying smile.  
"Imagine if I was Sasuke…or TenTen. Would you have lost control after a few hits to the head and killed them too?" he asked with a questioning stare. His endurance was paying off. Lee's eyes were flying down and left, showing his panic.  
"That's right. You didn't think it through. You let your heart do the thing it wanted and Now I'm Half-Dead!" He spat through great pain. He thought he could take it but mentality wasn't enough. His body was failing him and he had to put in the last touch before his vision grew any darker. He had to deliver the idea that was keeping him awake through the pounding he had just withstood.  
"You lost control when I hit you in the jaw and you got mad. You got mad and followed your raging heart. You didn't control yourself and now-"  
He fell on his face with a low thud and lost conscience.  
Naruto spent the next two days in the hospital as ordered by the doctor. The only explanations he was willing to give about his injuries were strange sentences.  
"I did drugs." He would keep saying with a regretful smile, or "I was possessed by a bisexual ghost.", "I fell all the way down the stairs of the Hokage monument.", "I left the fridge open and Karma hit me.", "I didn't cheer in my niece's first talent show" And so on.  
Danzo knew he was mocking everyone. What concerned him was Naruto's extraordinary regeneration. Guy had reported everything to him and after what Lee did to him, he should have died three times over.  
Aside from Naruto's strange injuries, something else was the talking topic for everyone. Lee was calmer now. Eventually, he stopped applying hair gel to make his hairstyle a perfect bowl shape and to everyone's surprise, he started growing his hair. Years later, when it was shoulder-length, he would braid the back and cut the bangs short, keeping whatever remained out of his sight with his forehead protector. But that would be a different story.  
It took Guy some time to get used to the new attitude. Even so, if it meant improving his student's career as a Ninja, he was grateful.  
Something did however change in Naruto. Something small yet significant. When he fainted, he saw a pair of glowing crimson eyes stare into him. Eyes that scared him to no end.

 **Next Week - Training Field 20-7**

"Alright then." He spoke as he looked at each of his pupils with his single eye.  
"For teamwork, I'll have to give most of you a full grade."  
"Does that mean we get a mission other than tactful gardening and sanitary service now?" Naruto asked with a frustrated sigh.  
"Yes." The Hokage replied as he walked away from the group.  
"Really?" he asked with a certain glee in his tone. He knew it and so did the Hokage. The team was itching for a decent mission.  
"Wait What Did You Mean Most Of Us?" he asked aloud but Danzo did not reply.

 **Hokage Office**

"Can I ask what you meant when you said most of us get a full grade?" he asked with an expecting tone. The team had disbanded for the day but he was burning with curiosity about the mission.  
"You do almost nothing, Naruto. Being a leader is more than just giving orders. It's about nurturing your comrades and protecting them."  
"Well then give me a good mission so I can nurture something other than gardening skills and protect them against something other than bug bites!" he protested. One look from Danzo and he knew he had crossed a line.  
"We're alone now, Naruto. I expect you to act accordingly." Danzo spoke in a low voice filled with authority. Getting the message and reading between the lines, Naruto straightened himself and looked down in respect.  
"I apologize, Hokage-sama. I believe team twenty-seven's talents are being wasted as they are now."  
He spoke true but he didn't know what he was saying. Every year, Danzo would send the star students on a mission out of Konoha and every year, he'd sustain great losses. He feared that he was making the same mistake he had once made with Root so it was a fairly tough decision to make for him. He looked at a few of the scrolls on his desk and finally picked a blue scroll with one thought in mind.  
 _No guts. No glory._  
"Here's an escort mission. To the land of waves. It's currently a war-ridden country so I hope you'll take care this time and bring everyone back." He said with more than just a touch of cruelty and threw the scroll at Naruto.  
Trying to ignore the stab in the heart, Naruto opened the scroll and read the content. It was, indeed, an escort mission. He would be escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna to the land of waves. He would remain there until the bridge's completion and return with a full report.  
"Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Hokage-sama."  
He bowed gratefully and turned around to leave the room.  
 **"Naruto…"** a low voice growled and Naruto turned around with his blade drawn, his heart racing like never before and his eyes wide open.  
Danzo, expecting Naruto to do something beneath his rank, was still looking at the files on his desk and did not look at Naruto.  
"Stop making faces, Uzumaki. You're eleven for god's sake."

 **Next day – Village gates**

"Hello, Tazuna-san. We are team twenty-seven and we'll be in charge of your safety." Naruto stated with a polite nod. What the old man, who was apparently drunk too, said next made Naruto regret playing so nice.  
"Hah. I asked for an escort and what do I get? A bunch of kids?" Tazuna spat with a derogatory tone.  
If the man had insulted Naruto alone, he'd be fine but unfortunately for him, he had insulted his teammates. Naruto, being the killer/ex-root ninja that he was, had no problem being insulted as he had learned to reply in professional ways. In such situations, he had to act differently. He put on the smile that would put people like Neji and Lee in their places and took a step towards the bridge builder. He felt sick at the stench of the alcohol.  
"Is it really wise of you to insult this village's best and brightest when you're at our gates and more importantly, at our feet?" he asked with a low, intimidating voice that promised misfortune.  
Regaining some of his composure, Tazuna took a step back and coughed into his fist.  
"Whatever. Just get me home safe." He said before taking more steps away from the whiskered blonde.  
"Alright gang." Naruto said after turning to his team with a friendly smile, very much the opposite of his thin, ostensible smile. "This will be our first real mission. Neji, Lee and TenTen are up front with Neji in the middle. He'll be watching for any incomers. I'll be to Tazuna's right and Sasuke will be to his left. Sakura, Shino and Hinata will be behind. Hinata, I don't want any surprise attacks. If any of you see or feel anything suspicious, talk about what we'll do when we get back to the village. Any questions?"  
Pleased with the confidence in everyone's eyes, he orders them to move out.

* * *

Words would fail to describe what Karin felt at the sight. They were in an old training field with a faded number on the fence. Naruto was in a body bag and currently surrounded by his teammates.

'Why?' she asked herself as she watched Hinata fall to her knees. The scene scratched the inner walls of her heart. She had never seen a person cry like that and she had witnessed many tortures. The tears seemed to be flowing out of her eyes as she screamed silently, the veins on her neck popping out. she pressed her hand on where her heart would be as if to soothe the pain.

" _Listen to me. You have a horrible crying voice, okay? It's small and weak and…just…gah! It breaks my heart to see anyone cry like that. If you ever cry, you're not allowed to make a single noise, got it?" he said with frustration to the soaking Hyuuga._

The memories were what kept her from crying loudly. She wanted to scream. Maybe Naruto would hear her. Maybe he'd feel pity and move. But no. he had made her promise not to make a single noise when she cried.

" _even if you see me dead one day, I want you to keep that voice to yourself. Since you've promised not to-"_

" _but I didn't!" she suddenly exclaimed with surprise._

" _Silence! Since you've promised not to make a noise when you cry, I'll help you out this time."_

And indeed, she kept the promise that she never made.


End file.
